Close fitting leakage resistant feminine hygiene pad

ABSTRACT

A Feminine Hygiene Pad Comprising having a wide forward portion which is at least one and half times the length of a narrow rear, tail-like portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

THIS APPLICATION IS A CONTINUATION OF application Ser. No. 11/023,216filed on Dec. 27, 2004, NOW U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,297 WHICH IS ACONTINUATION OF application Ser. No. 10/241,726 filed on Sep. 11, 2002NOW U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,224, WHICH IS A CONTINUATION OF application Ser.No. 09/558,354, filed on Apr. 26, 2000 NOW U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,203,WHICH IS A CONTINUATION OF application Ser. No. 29/089,449, filed onJun. 15, 1998, NOW Pat. No. DES. 426,887.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to feminine hygiene pads.

2. State of the Prior Art

Feminine hygiene pads are disposable, liquid absorbent pads applied tothe crotch area by women in order to absorb menstrual fluids. Existingfeminine hygiene pads are symmetrical in shape along a longitudinaldimension, with wider rounded ends and a narrower mid-portion definedbetween opposite concave side edges. In existing pads the wide rearportion of the pad fits over the buttocks and allows menstrual fluids toleak to the rear of the thighs and onto the buttocks. This preventswomen wearing these pads from sleeping on their backs in order tocontrol such leakage. Another shortcoming of existing pads is that theyare oversized and cannot be worn discreetly with skimpy or smallgarments or tight fitting clothing.

A need exists for improved feminine hygiene pads which fit better to thecontour of the user's body to control rearward leakage of menstrualfluid and to permit discreet use of the pad with close fitting or skimpyclothing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention addresses the aforementioned need by providing a femininehygiene pad having an absorbent forward pad portion, the forward portionhaving a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, and a rearportion extending from the forward portion along the longitudinaldimension and having a width lesser than one half of the transversedimension.

The width of the rear portion may be about one-third of the transversedimension and the rear portion may have a length of approximatelyone-third of the aforementioned longitudinal dimension. The forwardportion may have a wider front and a narrower mid-portion, both theforward portion and the mid-portion being substantially wider than therear portion. The rear portion is of sufficient length in the directionof the longitudinal dimension to be retained between the buttocks of auser, and preferably the rear portion is formed integrally with theforward portion and is made of the same material as the forward portion.The forward portion has an absorbent body bonded along a perimeterthereof by a bonded edge. The mid-portion has two opposite concavelycurved sides and a convexly curved front edge, while the rear portionmay have generally parallel sides in the direction of the longitudinaldimension, such that the rear portion is a generally rectangularelongated tab.

More generally, this invention is a feminine hygiene pad having alongitudinal dimension along the length thereof, a relatively wideabsorbent frontal portion and a much narrower elongated rear portionsized for retention between the buttocks of a user.

Set forth below is a brief summary of the invention which achieves theforegoing and other objectives and provides the foregoing and hereafterstated benefits and advantages in accordance with the structure,function and results of the present invention as embodied and broadlydescribed herein. This feature is specific to, but not limited by thisspecificity, the need to prevent leakage of fluids, the main point ofabsorbency is in the main portion of the pad. Another feature of thisaspect of the Feminine Hygiene Pad is that it is of minimal size and isintended to be worn with small sized textile and tight fitting garments.

More specifically, the feminine hygiene pad of this invention has awider absorbent forward pad portion and a relatively narrow rear portionadapted to be worn between the buttocks of a user, the rear portionhaving a rear edge and a rear width between rear side edges, the forwardpad portion having forward side edges including divergent side edgeportions diverging from the rear side edges and a transition from thedivergent side edge portions to non-divergent side edge portions. Theforward pad portion increases in width between the divergent side edgesto a location along the longitudinal dimension corresponding to a padwidth of at least twice the rear width. The forward pad portion has aforward pad length measured from the location along the longitudinaldimension to a front edge of the pad. The rear portion has a rear lengthmeasured from the rear edge to the aforementioned location along thelongitudinal dimension. The forward pad length is at least one and onehalf times longer than the rear length, and the pad has a border ofrelatively thin material along at least some of the side edges, the rearedge and the front edge. In one form of the invention, the forward padlength is about twice as long as the rear length.

The rear portion is preferably integral with the forward pad portion,and the absorbent forward pad portion may be substantially thicker thana thickness of the rear portion. The absorbent forward pad portion maybe much thicker than a thickness of the rear portion. The forward padportion has a wider front and a narrower mid-portion, the mid-portionbeing at least twice as wide as a width of the rear portion. The rearportion may be made of the same material as the forward pad portion. Theforward pad portion has an absorbent body bonded along a perimeterthereof by a bonded edge of the above mentioned relatively thinmaterial. The hygiene pad may have a continuous upper surface and acontinuous bottom surface, each surface being common to the forward padportion and the rear pad portion.

In another aspect of this invention the forward side edges of theforward pad portion have inturned side edge portions definingtherebetween a pad mid-portion of minimum width longitudinally locatedbetween pad portions of greater width than the minimum width and alsolongitudinally located between the transition and a front edge of thepad, the minimum width being greater than the rear width, and a borderof relatively thin material along at least some of the side edges, therear edge and the front edge. The minimum width is preferably more thantwice the rear width of the rear portion, the inturned side edges mayhave concavely curved portions of the forward side edges, and the padmid-portion of minimum width is desirably located approximately midwaybetween the divergent side edge portions and the front edge of the pad.In one possible form of the invention the forward pad portion increasesin width between the divergent side edges to a location along thelongitudinal dimension preferably corresponding to a pad width of atleast twice the rear width, the forward pad portion has a forward padlength measured from the said location along the longitudinal dimensionto a front edge of the pad, the rear portion has a rear length measuredfrom the rear edge to the said location along the longitudinaldimension, and the forward pad length is substantially longer than therear length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the feminine hygiene pad;

FIG. 2 is a right side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a left side view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a rear end view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a front end view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the feminine hygiene padgenerally designated by the numeral 10. The feminine hygiene pad 10 hasan absorbent front portion 12 having a longitudinal dimension between afront end 14 and a rear portion 20, and a transverse dimension between aleft side edge 16 and a right side edge 18. The top view of the pad inFIG. 1 with top pad surface 15 is seen to be similar to the bottom viewof the pad with bottom pad surface 17 in FIG. 3. The two side edges 16,18 of the front portion are seen in FIG. 1 to have concave portions 22which define a narrower mid-portion 24 in relation to the wider front 26defined by convex front edge 28. The pad is also seen to have a thickercentral portion or absorbent body 30 which is permanently bonded at itsperimeter by bonded edge 32. The side edges 16, 18 have convergentportions 34 which taper inwardly to a transition 36 from which extendsthe rear portion 20. The rear portion 20 is seen to have two straightmutually parallel sides 38 and a transverse rear edge 40. The side edges38 are relatively long in relation to the rear edge 40 such that therear portion is a generally rectangular elongated tab extending from theforward portion 12 along the longitudinal dimension. It will be furtherseen from the drawings that the rear portion 20 is much narrower thanthe front portion 12, and in the illustrated embodiment the width of therear portion 20 is about one third the width between the side edges 16,18 of the front portion 12. The drawings further show the rear portionto have a length, as measured along the side edges 22 from thetransition 36 to the rear edge 40, also of about one third the length ofthe front portion as measured from the front end 14 to the transition36. The elongated rear portion 20 is integral with the forward portion12, and preferably is made of the same materials, the choice of whichwill be apparent to those skilled in the art.

As shown in the drawings, the forward pad portion 12 has a minimumtransverse width which in the illustrated embodiment occurs at thenarrowest point of the midportion 24 between the concavely shaped sides22 of the forward portion 12. As shown, the rear portion 20 has a widthbetween sides 38 which is less than half of this minimum transversewidth. Stated otherwise, the absorbent forward pad portion 12 is atleast twice the width of the rear portion at any point along the lengthof the forward pad portion, from front 14 to transition 36. The lengthof the forward pad portion from front 14 to transition 36 issubstantially longer than the length of the rear portion measuredbetween the transition 36 to rear 40, and as shown, the forward padportion 12 is between one and one-half and twice the length of the rearportion 20.

The absorbent forward pad portion 12 is of sufficient length relative tothe rear portion 20 to provide both an absorbent intermediate padportion for receiving menstrual fluid and an absorbent front portion ofthe pad. The absorbent intermediate pad portion is generally the rearhalf of the forward pad portion 12, which as is well understood by usersof such articles, tends to receive and collect the bulk of the menstrualfluid discharge. The absorbent front portion of the pad is generally thefront half of the absorbent pad portion 12, and, as is also wellunderstood by such users, provides extended coverage and containment ofthe fluid received and collected by the absorbent intermediate padportion. From the foregoing, it may be understood that the pad 10 hasthree general portions, an absorbent front portion, an absorbentintermediate portion, and a rear portion.

As particularly appreciated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings is thatthe entire pad 10 including absorbent forward portion 12 and rearportion 20 is substantially planar or essentially flat except forvariations in pad thickness. That is, the rear portion 20 lies, at leastin an initial condition of the hygienic pad, in a plane common to boththe forward portion 12 and the rear portion 20 of the pad 10.

FIGS. 1 and 5 show the top pad surface 15 and bottom pad surface 17,respectively, to be continuous over both the absorbent forward portion12 and the narrower tail portion 20.

In the particular embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the absorbentforward portion 12 of the pad is seen to be much thicker, due in part tothe absorbent body 30, than the relatively thin rear portion 20 of thepad, as seen in the drawings.

The use and proper application of the hygiene pad 10 will be evident tothose of the female gender by inspection of the drawings without furtherexplanation. It may be briefly said that the wider forward portion isapplied over the vaginal opening while the rearward appendage 20 is wornbetween and retained between the buttocks. This use of the rearwardappendage 20 is evident from the widespread use among women of tongstyle undergarments which in part are similarly worn between thebuttocks, in contrast to conventional briefs which are worn over thebuttocks. The appendage 20 is thus able to retain the rear of theabsorbent forward portion closer against the body following the contourof the crotch area and thereby better absorb and control rearwardleakage of fluid from the vaginal area towards the rear of the thighsand the buttocks. This permits the user to sleep on her back with muchreduced risk of rearward leakage of fluids. The elongated rear appendageis received between the user's buttocks and insures that the pad staysin place, and also replaces the wide rear end of conventional hygienicpads thereby reducing the size of the pad so that it can be morediscreetly worn with small sized textiles and tight fitting garments.

An absorbent article; as apparent in FIGS. 1 through 6, the preferredembodiment consists of an absorbent body (1). The Absorbent body (1) isadhered or otherwise permanently bonded at its perimeter by the bondededge. (2) A positioning point is formed on the main absorbent portion ofthe pad and an absorbent point is formed on the main portion of the pad.(3) The Elongated Rearward Appendage is fabricated of the same materialas, and at the same time as the Absorbent body. The ELONGATED REARWARDAPPENDICE is considered to be integral to the Absorbent Body (1) and theinvention as a whole.

The following portion of the detailed description of the invention ismade with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawings in general andto particular Figures as may be indicated below.

As best seen in the top and bottom views of FIGS. 1 and 5 respectively,the rear portion 20 has a rear width between two side edges 38′, theforward pad portion 12 has a front edge 14′, two opposite forward sideedges 16′, 18′ and a maximum forward width between the forward sideedges. The forward side edges 16′, 18′ include convexly curved divergentside edge portions 34′ for tapering the width of the forward pad portionto the rear width of the rear portion 20. The rear portion has a maximumrear width between the rear side edges 38′ of about one third of themaximum forward width. The rear portion 20 has a rear length from therear edge 40′ to the first transition 36′ of the convexly curveddivergent side edges 34′ of about one third of a full pad lengthmeasured from the rear edge 40′ to the front edge 14′. The pad 10 has aborder 32 of relatively thin material which encompasses the pad alongthe side edges 16′, 18′, the rear edge 40′ and the front edge 14′.

The divergent portions 34′ of the forward side edges 16′, 18′ transitionto non-divergent side edge portions 22′ of the forward side edges at asecond transition point 42 of the side edges 16′, 18′ such that theforward pad portion 12 measured along its longitudinal dimension fromthe second transition point 42 to the front edge 14′ is substantiallylonger than the rear portion 20 measured from the rear edge 40′ to thesecond transition point 42 along the longitudinal dimension.

The forward side edges 16′, 18′ each have an in-turned edge portion 22′located longitudinally between the divergent side edge portions 34′ andthe front edge 14′ to define a narrower mid-portion 24 of the padincluding a minimum width of the forward pad portion between theinnermost points 25 of the in-turned edge portions 22′. Preferably themaximum width of the forward pad portion is located longitudinallybetween the narrower mid-portion 24 and the front edge 14′, and thein-turned edge portions 22′ are concavely curved.

The forward pad portion 12 increases in width between the divergent sideedges 34′ to a location 44 along its longitudinal dimensioncorresponding to a pad width of at least twice the rear width, and theforward pad portion 12 has a forward pad length measured from theaforesaid location 44 along its longitudinal dimension to a front edge14′ of the pad. The rear portion 20 has a rear length measured from therear edge 40′ along the longitudinal dimension to a point aligned withthe same aforesaid location 44, the forward pad length beingsubstantially longer than the rear length. As previously explained, aborder 32 of relatively thin material encompasses the pad, such that therelative lengths of the forward pad length and the rear pad length aremeasured exclusive of the encompassing thin material 32 around the inneredges identified by primed numerals.

In a more general sense the invention concerns a feminine hygiene pad 10having a wider absorbent forward pad portion 12, and a relatively narrowrear portion 20 adapted to be worn between the buttocks of a user. Therear portion 20 has a rear edge 40′ and a rear width between rear sideedges 38′. The forward pad portion 12 has forward side edges 16′, 18′including divergent side edge portions 34′ diverging from the rear sideedges 38′ and a second transition 42 from the divergent side edgeportions 34′ to non-divergent side edge portions 22′. The forward padportion 12 has a mid-portion 24 of minimum width which is longitudinallylocated between the divergent side edge portions 34′ and the front edge14′ of the pad, the minimum width being greater than the aforementionedrear width. More particularly, the said minimum width may be more thantwice the rear width of the aforementioned rear portion 20.

In a presently preferred form, the pad 10 may be divided into threeimaginary parts, one imaginary part comprising the rear portion 20, asecond imaginary part comprising a one-half length of the forward padportion 12 extending from the rear pad portion 20 to the aforementionedminimum width, and a third imaginary portion extending from the minimumwidth to the front edge 14′, the three imaginary parts being ofgenerally similar length along a longitudinal dimension of the padbetween the rear edge 40′ and the front edge 14′.

In the preferred form, the forward pad portion 12 is much wider than therear pad portion 20 at all points along its length from the aforesaidsecond transition 42 to the front edge 14′.

The forward pad portion 12 tapers rearwardly in width between thedivergent side portions 34′ including a location 44 along the pad 10 atwhich the forward pad portion 12 is about twice the rear width, the pad10 having a length between the location 44 and the front edge 14′ whichis substantially greater than a pad length between the said location 44and the rear edge 40′.

The invention may also be understood as a feminine hygiene pad 10 havinga wider absorbent forward pad portion 12 and a relatively narrow rearportion 20 adapted to be worn between the buttocks of a user, the rearportion 20 having a rear edge 40′ and a rear width between rear sideedges 38′, the forward pad portion 12 having forward side edges 16′, 18′including divergent side edge portions 34′ diverging from the rear sideedges 38′ and a transition from the divergent side edge portions 34′ tonon-divergent side edge portions 22′, the forward pad portion 12 beingmuch wider than the rear pad portion 20 at all points along its lengthfrom the transition 42 to the front edge 14′. The forward pad portion 12tapers in width between the divergent side portions 34′ including atleast one location 44 along the divergent sides 34′ at which the widthof the forward pad portion 12 is about twice the rear width, the pad 10having a forward length between the aforesaid location 44 and the frontedge 14′ which is substantially greater than a rear pad length measuredbetween the said location 44 and the rear edge 40′.

In all of the forms and embodiments of the invention described above,the pad lengths, measurements and proportions of the various padportions are measured from inner pad edges identified by primed numeralsas opposed to outer edges identified by similar but non-primed numerals,and are exclusive of the encompassing border portions 32 of thinmaterial which defines the outer edges, such that border portions 32 arenot included in those lengths, measurements and proportions. Likewise,all references to lengths, relative proportions and edges in the claimsare understood to refer to the aforementioned inner edges, withoutregard to the thin sheet material encompassing the forward pad portionand the rear pad portion.

1. A method for using a feminine hygiene pad comprising: providing anabsorbent pad comprising an elongated partially rounded generallyrectangular wider absorbent pad portion and a narrow tail-like absorbentpad portion formed integrally with and extending from the widerabsorbent pad portion, the wider absorbent pad portion having a lengthat least twice that of the narrow tail-like absorbent portion, the widerabsorbent pad portion comprising a thicker central portion that isthicker than the narrow tail-like absorbent portion, the thicker centralportion having a substantially uniform thickness along its length, thenarrow tail-like absorbent portion having a width less than one third awidth of the wider absorbent pad portion; and wearing the pad such thatthe narrow tail-like absorbent pad portion is placed between thebuttocks.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pad has a curvedtransition portion between the wider absorbent pad portion and thenarrow tail-like absorbent pad portion.
 3. The method of claim 1, thepad comprising continuous thin borders entirely encompassing the widerabsorbent pad portion and the narrow tail-like absorbent pad portion. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the thin borders encompassing the widerabsorbent pad portion have a substantially uniform width.
 5. The methodof claim 1, wherein the narrow tail-like absorbent pad portion is inaxial alignment with the wider absorbent pad portion.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the forward absorbent pad portion and the narrowtail-like absorbent pad portion are fabricated of the same material andat the same time as the wider absorbent pad portion.
 7. A method forusing a feminine hygiene pad comprising: providing an absorbent padcomprising an elongated partially rounded generally rectangular widerabsorbent pad portion and a narrow tail-like absorbent pad portionformed integrally with and extending from the wider absorbent padportion, the wider absorbent pad portion having a length at least oneand a half times longer than that of the narrow tail-like absorbentportion, wherein the wider absorbent pad portion comprises two oppositeconcavely curved sides extending along left and right side edgesthereof, the narrow tail-like absorbent portion having a width less thanone third a width of the wider absorbent pad portion; and wearing thepad such that the narrow tail-like absorbent pad portion is placedbetween the buttocks.
 8. The method of claim 7, the wider absorbent padportion comprising a thicker central portion that is thicker than thenarrow tail-like absorbent portion.
 9. The method of claim 7, whereinthe pad has a curved transition portion between the wider absorbent padportion and the narrow tail-like absorbent pad portion.
 10. The methodof claim 7, the pad comprising continuous thin borders entirelyencompassing the wider absorbent pad portion and the narrow tail-likeabsorbent pad portion.
 11. A method for using a feminine hygiene padcomprising: providing an absorbent pad comprising a wide partiallyrounded generally rectangular forward absorbent pad portion defining aforward pad length, and a narrow tail-like rear absorbent pad portionformed integrally with and extending from the forward absorbent padportion and defining a rear pad length, the forward pad length beingsubstantially longer than the rear pad length, the forward absorbent padportion comprising a central portion that is thicker than the rearabsorbent pad portion, the thicker central portion having asubstantially uniform thickness along its length, wherein the rearabsorbent pad portion has a width less than one third a width of amidpoint of the forward absorbent pad portion, and wherein a top padsurface and a bottom pad surface, respectively, of the absorbent pad iscontinuous over both the forward absorbent pad portion and the rearabsorbent pad portion; and wearing the pad such that the rear absorbentpad portion is placed between the buttocks.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the pad has a curved transition portion between the forwardabsorbent pad portion and the rear absorbent pad portion.
 13. The methodof claim 11, the pad comprising continuous thin borders entirelyencompassing the forward absorbent pad portion and the rear absorbentpad portion.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the forward absorbentpad portion comprises concave portions on left and right side edgesthereof.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the forward absorbent padportion has a length at least one and a half times longer that of therear absorbent pad portion.